Regression
by Wind Blown Dreamer
Summary: "As they shook hands, they had no idea of what was to come..."


_**A/N-I just recently finished reading these amazing books. What a series! Anyway, in the 5th book, right before the Knights enter the Dreamstone, Trask says something to Laura akin to 'don't throw your life away' as she's leaving. That, and the fact that she already knew him when the group went to the house, triggered some "there's a backstory to be written here" bells in my head. So here it is - the first Laura/Trask fic on fanfic as far as I'm aware!**_

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><p><em><strong>(After)<strong>_

His parting words run through her mind as the enemy swarms her; jab to the right, uppercut with a dagger – that's all that matters. Is that her blood or her enemy's? Doesn't matter. The longer she can hold _them_ off, the longer the Knights have to get through the Dreamstone – they need all the help they can get.

She barely feels the knife plunge through her abdomen. To her surprise, she isn't nearly as scared at the prospect of dying as she thought she'd be. She has nothing left even if she did defy the overwhelming odds and survive. She had failed in her duty; she never should've let things become so bad.

She _does,_ however, feel the cold steel retract and she feels the hard, sun-heated rock as she collapses in a heap at the enemy's feet. She's done all she can.

_'Sorry Trask - I lied.'_

...X...

A week after they leave Obsidian Waste, he gets a phone call with the worst news.

He is the only one still among the living who attends the funeral – everyone else is either captured or dead or just plain gone – depending, of course, on your definition of "living."

He doesn't cry, for it is not his way. As he boards the plane after the pitiful excuse for a ceremony, he fleetingly thinks that she was the lucky one.

...X...

_**(During)**_

"It's lovely out here, isn't it?" She says without looking at him, for she already knows what she'll see there and wishes she didn't.

"Yes, it is." He replies, and she knows he's not even looking at the admittedly gorgeous sunset she's referring to.

She keeps her gaze determinedly away from him, not saying a word to acknowledge his existence, pretending to be enjoying that sunset. She knows she can't risk falling now, not with the world collapsing in all around them.

"Laura?"

She turns to face him out of sheer instinct – despite what Mum had always said, she wasn't an uncivilized, unmannerly hellion. "Yes?"

And with that one look, she fell.

...X...

He's finally managed to get her on her own, far from the prying eyes of their companions; not exactly an easy task when the one you're trying to corner is an expert in all things evasive.

He opens his mouth, but she cuts him off before he finishes taking a breath. "We'll never work you know." She states in that simple, straight-to-the-point way that made him fall for her in the first place, looking at anything and everything but him.

"Oh? And why's that?" He hates this façade of light-hearted, cheerful, I-don't-really-care conversation. He hates it almost as much as he hates the Society.

"You know damn well why, Trask. Don't toy with me. We're in the middle of a war here there's no room for such foolish emotions such as, as..." She stops there, losing all of the desire to argue the point, and looks into his eyes for the first time since they were introduced.

In her eyes, Trask notices a weary sense of vulnerability and something he simply can't place, despite his best efforts. "I wish," He starts but, in her usual way, she interrupts him.

"We all wish, Trask." She murmurs with an out-of-character tone of softness, sadness and regret; a finger held to his lips to keep him quiet. "We all wish."

...X...

_**(Before)**_

She coughs in the dust the jeep kicks up, but doesn't really mind that much. Living in the Outback doesn't provide many opportunities for socializing, so almost any company is welcome. She hadn't seen Vincent in a long time and had missed him more than she'd willingly admit – he was the brother she'd never had.

As the jeep pulls nearer, she realizes with a slight note of panic that Vinny isn't alone: Corbin hadn't mentioned another person coming along.

Her panic mounts until she sees Vincent's smiling face as he parks the jeep, jumps out the door, and runs towards her, scooping her up in a big hug. "Laura! How are you?

"I'm fine, thanks." She replies happily. "Who's that you've got with ya?" She asks, pointing at the nearly bald black man getting out of the jeep with far less enthusiasm than Vinny had.

"I'm Trask." The man replies, with a no-nonsense, yet not unfriendly, edge to his voice.

"I'm Laura." She offers, holding out her hand.

As they shook hands, they had no idea of what was to come.


End file.
